Four Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) aspiring for the Presidency of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have sought the support of the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF), made up lawyers of Igbo extraction.
The aspirants are Augustine Alegeh, Deacon Dele Adesina, Chief Adeniyi Akintola and Mrs Funke Adekoya.
During the forum’s meeting in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, the aspirants praised EBF’s leadership.
Alegeh said the Mid-West Bar Forum, to which he belongs, has modelled itself, its leadership and meetings after the EBF.
“We took the EBF constitution, studied it and modelled our own constitution after it,” Alegeh said.
He attended the meeting with about 24 NBA branch chairmen from the North. While some branch chairmen came with their secretaries, others sent their secretaries.
Adesina, in his goodwill message, said: “EBF is first among equals because you see democracy in action. EBF is really holding the banner of democracy very high and this is worthy of emulation.”
He praised the vision of the forum’s founding fathers: “Vision drives passion, a visionless individual is a dead person, unless you run a vision as if your life depends on it, you cannot accomplish it,” he said.
Adesina said he attended the meeting to be part of the what was happening in the EBF.
He commended the NBA leadership for setting agenda for the ongoing national conference because, according to him, the business of law-making is that of lawyers.
“My prayer is that one day, a lawyer will become the President of this country,” he said.
Adesina was accompanied to the meeting by the chairman of NBA Ikeja branch, Mr. Monday Ubani, chairman NBA Ondo branch, Mr. Kunle Adetuwubo, chairman NBA Ikere Ekiti branch, Hon Bunmi Olugbade, among others.
Akintola frowned at a situation where lawyers talk like politicians outside the courterooms. He stated that such talks should be reserved for the courtrooms.
“I came to this meeting as a mark of respect for EBF, I came in the company of my followers from Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and Ikeja,” he said.
Akintola stated that the EBF is the oldest forum in the NBA and has demonstrated purposeful leadership.
He urged the forum to continue to maintain the old tradition of the bar, adding that a lawyer should talk in court and not on the pages of newspapers.
Akintola urged the EBF to continue its leadership style.
Adekoya, in her good will massage, said she had the privilege of participating in the EBF capacity building programmes in the past and knows that enhancing legal knowledge is part of EBF agenda.
Having participated as a resource persons in EBF workshop and seminar last year, she advised the EBF to focus on issues of the rule of law.
She was accompanied to the meeting by the chairman of NBA Lagos branch, Mr. Alex Muoka, Chukwuma Ezeala, Afam Ofomata Ofomus and Amaka Aneke, among others.
Mr. Matthias Schuwa brought goodwill message from Mr. Steve Abar, a General Secretary aspirant.
Other aspirants at the meeting include: Mrs. Chinwe Nwadike, Aniche Barth Okoye, Afam Osigwe, while national officers present included Joyce Oduah, Paul Ebial. Afam Obi, Kelvin Ejelonu, U.F.O. Nnaemeka and John Austin Unachukwu
NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN) joked that the meeting was more like a National Executive Council (NEC) gathering.
He praised EBF chairman Ogbonna Igwenyi for leading by example.
According to him, the EBF had been massively supportive of his administration and had been like its pillar.
Speaking after the meeting, Igwenyi said: “The meeting is one to be remembered for so many reasons. It provided an opportunity for some of our colleagues who are eying one national office or the other to come and say one thing or the other to us by way of goodwill massages even though the electoral time table has not been rolled out for them to commence their campaigns.
“They came in their numbers and we interracted with them. I believe that the meeting had achieved the purpose for which it was convened.”
